Police Identify Shooting Victim

The man shot dead by police after he pointed a pistol at them in front of a Fort Lauderdale elementary school on Wednesday has been identified by police as 21-year-old Jerry Raoul Raphael.

Raphael, who has no local address, was shot several times after police said he ran while being questioned after a traffic stop in a school zone in the 1800 block of Southwest Fourth Ave.

When officers gave chase, Raphael reportedly pulled a pistol from his waistband and pointed it at them. Two officers fired their weapons, hitting him several times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A shell casing investigators think came from Raphael's semi-automatic handgun was found on the ground near his body, according to Detective Mike Reed. However, it still isn't clear if Raphael fired at police, Reed said.

Results of an autopsy were not released by police and were not available from the Broward Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday.

The officers who shot Raphael were identified on Thursday.

They are: Ken VanDesteeg, a seven-year veteran assigned to the mounted patrol, and Jerry Williams, a road patrolman who was hired in May 2001. Both are on administrative leave while the shooting is investigated by the department's homicide unit. The results of that investigation will be sent to a grand jury to decide if any criminal charges should be filed, Reed said.

Personnel files on the two officers were not available Thursday.

A warrant for Raphael's arrest on charges of armed burglary of a residence and aggravated assault with a firearm was issued in March. No shots were fired, Reed said. Records of that incident were not released on Wednesday.

Raphael had no prior arrest record and had just returned to the area from New Jersey last week, Reed said.

Raphael's mother, whom police declined to identify, met with detectives on Thursday morning. She said she had not seen her son since she filed a missing person report in February saying he had suicidal tendencies.

The incident occurred when mounted officers stopped the driver of a Ford Focus who was speeding through a school zone outside Croissant Park Elementary School shortly after school was dismissed.

The driver, whom police also declined to identify, admitted he was going at least 40 mph in the 15 mph zone when he was stopped. He told investigators that he knew Raphael but that he did not know why he ran or that he had a gun. The driver, also 21 years old, was released after cooperating with police, Reed said.

A Broward District Schools spokeswoman said Raphael attended Boyd Anderson High School for three years and dropped out in February 2000.

Ardy Friedberg can be reached at afriedberg@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4843.